Paris, France–TotalEnergies of France said Sunday it would move up annual pay negotiations with unions if they dropped a blockade of fuel depots and refineries that has slashed petrol supplies across the country.
Vehicle owners have faced increasingly long waits to fill up after two weeks of strikes by workers demanding higher wages in response to soaring prices.
Like other major oil companies, TotalEnergies has seen its profits soar as energy prices skyrocket during the war in Ukraine, and government officials have been pressing the company to settle the standoff.
It runs a network of around 3,500 filling stations in France, nearly a third of the total, and most of them are low on fuel or even empty for some types.
“If the depot blockades end and with the agreement of all labour representatives, the company proposes to move forward the annual salary negotiations from November to October,” the company said.
The discussions would define “how employees will benefit from TotalEnergies’ exceptional results before the end of this year, taking into account this year’s inflation.”
On Sunday, the CGT union branch at the company — which is leading the strikes also occurring at rival Esso-ExxonMobil — said they would continue but were open to talks as soon as Monday.
“If we do start talks, it will be based on our demands: a 10 percent salary hike… retroactive for the year 2022,” Eric Sellini, the branch coordinator, told AFP.
Currently three of Total’s refineries are blocked, including its largest, in Normandy, as well as a fuel depot near Flandres in the north.
The government has already dipped into strategic stockpiles in a bid to bring relief, and fuel trucks are being exceptionally allowed to make deliveries on Sunday to replenish filling stations.
